SYNTHESIS, MECHANICAL PROPERTIES AND MICROSTRUCTURE OF DUAL MATRIX (DM) ALUMINUM - BORON NITRIDE NANOTUBE (Al – BNNT) COMPOSITES.

Abstract

One type of BNNT-aluminum composite is investigated in the present study, namely a dual matrix composite, where pure unmilled Al powder is mixed with an equal weight of a single matrix aluminum-2wt% BNNT composite powder. The present study has shown that the low energy mixing technique is found to be inefficient method for homogeneously dispersing BNNT (2wt%) into aluminum matrix. However, it is found to be efficient when used in preparing of Dual matrix composites and bi-modal structure aluminium. The use of combined uniaxial compaction followed by single pass tube cold rolling, and sintering, the DM composites effective 1wt% of BNNT, leads to an increase in mechanical properties.